Being 18 is a time to dream

You're giving young disabled people the independence they need for adult life

I’m free to make my own decisions.

BeckyResident at Scope's Orchard Manor

Imagine being 18 years old and spending every day trapped in a place where there is no one your own age to talk to or share your life. There are 24,000 young disabled adults living in care homes and nearly 40% of them are living in accommodation that does not meet their needs.

With a shortage of specialist accommodation, and parents often unable to provide the level of care needed at home, many young disabled people have no other choice but to spend their lives in inappropriate places like old people’s homes.

At Orchard Manor, Scope’s service for young people in Cambridgeshire, we offer young disabled adults a place where they can be supported to live freely and independently. The safe and caring surroundings allow them to develop the skills they need for the transition into adulthood.

Judith Wood is a Senior Skills Tutor at Orchard Manor. She explains: “When people arrive, we take the time to understand what they like and don’t like, and what is possible for them as an individual. Becky is learning how to control her wheelchair and if she arrives on her own to the right place then that is a huge achievement. She’s definitely built confidence with her wheelchair since she arrived.”

Being 18 is a time to dream. Thanks to your support the young disabled people at Orchard Manor can look forward to adult life and fulfil their potential, living the life they chose.